第 61 节
作者:敏儿不觉      更新:2022-11-28 19:16      字数:9322
  say to my Lord; it being argued that to own any satisfaction as to my Lord from his speech; would be to lay some fault upon the King for the message he should upon no better accounts send to the impeaching of one of their members。  Walking out; I hear that the House of Lords are offended that my Lord Digby 'Digby; Earl of Bristol。'  should come to this House and make a speech there without leave first asked of the House of Lords。  I hear also of another difficulty now upon him; that my Lord of Sunderland 'Henry; fourth Lord Spence; and second Earl of Sunderland; Ambassador to Spain 1671。  Ob。 1702。' (whom I do not know) was so near to the marriage of his daughter; as that the wedding…clothes were made; and portion and every thing agreed on and ready; and the other day he goes away nobody yet knows whither; sending her the next morning a release of his right or claim to her; and advice to his friends not to enquire into the reason of this doing; for he hath enough for it; and that he gives them liberty to say and think what they will of him; so they do not demand the reason of his leaving her; being resolved never to have her。  To Sir W。 Batten; to the Trinity House; and after dinner we fell a…talking; Mr。 Batten telling us of a late triall of Sir Charles Sedley 'Sir Charles Sedley; Bart。; celebrated for his wit and profligacy; and author of several plays。  He is said to have been fined 500l。 for this outrage。  He was father to James II。's mistress; created Countess of Dorchester; and died 1701。' the other day; before my Lord Chief Justice Foster 'Sir Robert Foster; Knt。 Chief Justice of the King's Bench。 Ob。 1663。' and the whole bench; for his debauchery a little while since at Oxford Kate's。  'The details in the original are too gross to print。' It seems my Lord and the rest of the Judges did all of them round give him a most high reproofe; my Lord Chief Justice saying; that it was for him; and such wicked wretches as he was; that God's anger and judgments hung over us; calling him sirrah many times。  It seems they have bound him to his good behaviour (there being no law against him for it) in 5000l。  It being told that my Lord Buckhurst was there; my Lord asked whether it was that Buckhurst that was lately tried for robbery; 'See an account of this; February 22nd; 1661…2。'  and when answered yes; he asked whether he had so soon forgot his deliverance at that time; and that it would have more become him to have been at his prayers begging God's forgiveness; than now running into such courses again。  This day I hear at dinner that Don John of Austria; since his flight out of Portugall; is dead of his wounds:  so there is a great man gone; and a great dispute like to be indeed for the crown of Spayne; if the King should; have died before him。  My cousin Roger told us the whole passage of my Lord Digby to…day; much as I have said here above; only that he did say that he would draw his sword against the Pope himself; if he should offer any thing against his Majesty; and the good of these nations; and that he never was the man that did either look for a Cardinal's cap for himself; or any body else; meaning Abbot Montagu: 'Walter; second son to the first Earl of Manchester; embracing the Catholic religion while on his travels; was made abbot of Ponthoise through the influence of Mary de' Medici:  he afterwards became Almoner to the Queen…Dowager of England:  and died 1670。'  and the House upon the whole did vote Sir Richard Temple innocent; and that my Lord Digby hath cleared the honour of His Majesty; and Sir Richard Temple's; and given perfect satisfaction of his own respects to the House。
  2nd。  Walking in the garden this evening with Sir G。 Carteret and Sir J。 Minnes; Sir G。 Carteret told us with great content how like a stage…player my Lord Digby spoke yesterday; pointing to his head as my Lord did; and saying; 〃First; for his head;〃 says Sir G。 Carteret; 〃I know when a calfe's head would have done better by half:  for his heart and his sword; I have nothing to say to them。〃  He told us that for certain his head cost the late King his; for it was he that broke off the treaty at Uxbridge。 He told us also how great a man he was raised from a private gentleman in France by Monsieur Grandmont; and afterwards by the Cardinal; who raised him to be a Lieutenant…generall; and then higher; and entrusted by the Cardinal when he was banished out of France with great matters; and recommended by him to the Queene as a man to be trusted and ruled by:  yet when he come to have some power over the Queene; he begun to dissuade her from her opinion of the Cardinal; which she said nothing to till the Cardinal 'Cardinal Mazarin。'  was returned; and then she told him of it; who told my Lord Digby; 〃Et bien; Monsieur; vous estes un fort bon amy donc:〃  but presently put him out of all; and then; from a certainty of coming in two or three years' time to be Mareschall of France; (to which all strangers; even Protestants; and those as often as French themselves; are capable of coming; though it be one of the greatest places in France;) he was driven to go out of France into Flanders; but there was not trusted; nor received any kindness from the Prince of Conde; as one to whom also he had been false; as he had been to the Cardinal and Grandmont。  In fine; he told us that he is a man of excellent parts; but of no great faith nor judgment; and one very easy to get up to great height of preferment; but never able to hold it。
  3rd。  Mr。 Moore tells me great news that my Lady Castlemaine is fallen from Court; and this morning retired。  He gives me no account of the reason; but that it is so:  for which I am sorry; and yet if the King do it to leave off not only her but all other mistresses; I should be heartily glad of it; that he may fall to look after business。  I hear my Lord Digby is condemned at Court for his speech; and that my Lord Chancellor grows great again。 With Mr。 Creed over the water to Lambeth; but could not see the Archbishop's hearse:  so over the fields to Southwarke。  I spent half an hour in St。 Mary Overy's Church; where are fine monuments of great antiquity。
  4th。  Sir Allen Apsley 'Sir Allen Apsley; a faithful adherent to Charles I。; after the Restoration was made Falconer to the King; and Almoner to the Duke of York in whose regiment he bore a commission。  He was in 1661 M。P。 for Thetford; and died 1683。' showed the Duke the Lisbon Gazette in Spanish; where the late victory is set down particularly; and to the great honour of the English beyond measure。  They have since taken back Evora; which was lost to the Spaniards; the English making the assault; and lost not more than three men。  Here I learnt that the English foot are highly esteemed all over the world; but the horse not so much; which yet we count among ourselves the best:  but they abroad have had no great knowledge of our horse; it seems。  To the King's Head ordinary; and a pretty gentleman in our company; who confirms my Lady Castlemaine's being gone from Court; but knows not the reason; he told us of one wipe the Queene a little while ago did give her; when she come in and found the Queene under the dresser's hands; and had been so long:  〃I wonder your Majesty;〃 says she; 〃can have the patience to sit so long a… dressing?〃〃I have so much reason to use patience;〃 says the Queene; 〃that I can very well bear with it。〃  He thinks it may be the Queene hath commanded her to retire; though that is not likely。  Thence with Creed to hire a coach to carry us to Hide Parke; to…day there being a general muster of the King's Guards; horse and foot but they demand so high; that I; spying Mr。 Cutler the merchant; did take notice of him; and he going into his coach; and telling me that he was going to the muster; I asked and went along with him; where a goodly sight to see so many fine horses and officers; and the King; Duke; and others come by a… horseback; and the two Queenes in the Queene…Mother's coach; (my Lady Castlemaine not being there)。  And after long being there; I light; and walked to the place where the King; Duke; &c。 did stand to see the horse and foot march by and discharge their guns; to show a French Marquisse (for whom this muster was caused) the goodness of our firemen; which indeed was very good; though not without a slip now and then:  and one broadside close to our coach we had going out of the Park; even to the nearnesse as to be ready to burn our hairs。  Yet methought all these gay men are not the soldiers that must do the King's business; it being such as these that lost the old King all he had; and were beat by the most ordinary fellows that could be。  Thence with much ado out of the Park; and through St。 James's down the waterside over to Lambeth; to see the Archhishop's corps; (who is to be carried away to Oxford on Monday;) but come too late。  This day in the Duke's chamber there being a Roman story in the hangings; and upon the standard written these four letters S。 P。 Q。 R。; Sir G。 Carteret came to me to know what the meaning of those four letters were; which ignorance is not to be borne in a Privy Counsellor; methinks; what a schoolboy should be whipt for not knowing。
  6th。  At my office all the morning; writing of a list of the King's ships in my Navy collec